Subglottic stenosis and socio-economic deprivation: a 6-year review of the Scottish National Service for Paediatric Complex Airway Reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: Subglottic stenosis is the third most common cause of stridor in children, and severe cases may need surgical reconstruction. Babies born to parents in high-deprivation areas are at increased risk of prematurity and low birth weight. This may require intensive care admission with prolonged intubation, hence, putting them at increased risk of subglottic stenosis. We aimed to review cases of subglottic stenosis requiring surgical intervention in the Scottish population and its association with socio-economic deprivation.

METHODS: We collected retrospective data on all children who underwent open reconstructive surgery for subglottic stenosis between January 2005 and January 2011 at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, which provides the national complex airway reconstruction service for Scotland. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) was used to categorise deprivation based on the child's home postal code. Incidence figures were calculated based on the total number of births in each deprivation category over the time period.

RESULTS: There were a total of 53 cases of subglottic stenosis undergoing surgery in Scotland over the last 6 years, of which 31 were acquired and 22 were congenital. The most common procedure performed was laryngotracheal reconstruction with cartilage grafts (46 cases). No association was found between deprivation and the incidence of acquired or congenital subglottic stenosis.

CONCLUSION: Our data is the first attempt to review the incidence of subglottic stenosis in the Scottish population and its association with deprivation. Perhaps surprisingly, we found no association.